Top 20 Best Glee Performances

Ten years ago, the era of Glee came to an end—the very last episode premiered on Fox. It was one of the most popular and influential projects of its time, and if you were a teen back then and got into its weird style and undeniable talent, you know how big it was.

I will never have enough words to explain how much this silly TV show means to me. It not only introduced 14-year-old me to the world of music with its Broadway gems and endless '60s classics, but it also opened my eyes to diversity and shaped how I see the world around me. Somehow, Ryan Murphy deserved both a Nobel Prize and jail time for this show. But Glee existed, and never in a million years would I change that fact.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Glee's finale, I present my ranking of the 20 best Glee performances. And believe me, selecting from 754 (!) different ones was tough.

#20 Bust Your Windows (by Mercedes Jones)

If you ever need to sing about a gay guy who broke your heart—just lip-sync to this one and be the baddest of them all.

#19 The Scientist (by Finn Hudson, Rachel Berry, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Santana Lopez, Brittany S. Pierce, William Schuester and Emma Pillsbury)

Glee is usually over-the-top and crazy, but its best jams are often hidden in simplicity. This one is pure drama and emotion, yet beautifully simple.

#18 Edge Of Glory (by The Troubletones)

They really did justice to this song, didn’t they?

#17 Tongue Tied (by New Directions)

Yes, it should've ended there. I agree.

#16 The Winner Takes It All (by William Schuester and Sue Sylvester)

Will and Sue had a complicated and unique relationship, but in the end, the winners took it all. The competition is over.

#15 Seasons Of Love (by New Directions)

Maybe because it's one of my favorite songs ever, maybe because it's from THE episode, but it worked perfectly.

#14 Take My Breath Away (by Santana Lopez and Quinn Fabray)

We were kind of robbed with these two and their duets.

#13 Rumour Has Is/Someone Like You (by The Troubletones)

They got it, okay?

#12 Cough Syrup (by Blaine Anderson)

I’m about to say something that could send any Glee fan into a coma—I never really cared for Blaine’s version of Teenage Dream. But this one...

#11 Smooth Criminal (by Santana Lopez and Sebastian Smythe)

If you had added even a tiny bit of passion to this performance, it would've simply blown up. Because it was the peak of everything.

#10 Thriller / Heads Will Roll (by New Directions)

One thing Glee did right—many times—was mashups. I’ll be honest, I probably prefer listening to this one over the two original songs back-to-back.

#9 It's All Coming Back To Me Now (by Rachel Berry)

Let me quote the one and only Kurt Hummel: 'She can be difficult, but boy, can she sing.'

#8 If I Die Young (by Santana Lopez)

No comments needed. RIP Naya Rivera and Cory Monteith.

#7 I Lived (by New Directions)

When you're ending a series that should've wrapped up three seasons ago, it's easy to mess up—even the finale. But not this time. I believe this OneRepublic song fits perfectly, and the cover version is simply beautiful. Glad almost everyone was there.

#6 Survivor / I Will Survive (by The Troubletones)

They should've won. That's all.

#5 Don't Stop Believin' (by New Direction)

Of course, it should've been here somewhere. Honestly, any version is valid, and this spot represents all of them.

#4 Bohemian Rhapsody (by Vocal Adrenaline)

If you’ve never experienced the mashup of Queen’s classic with the birth of a child, performed by Jesse St. James, you’ve missed a lot. This is peak television.

#3 River Deep, Mountain High (by Mercedes Jones and Santana Lopez)

The. Best. Duet. Of. The. Entire. Series.

#2 Paradise By The Dashboard Light (by New Directions)

Probably the only time during competitions when New Directions were not just okay, good, or even very good—but absolutely exceptional. Cory Monteith shines here, as this is his best vocal performance on the show.

#1 Homeward Bound / Home (by Quinn Fabray, Finn Hudson, Santana Lopez, Mercedes Jones, Mike Chang and Noah Puckerman)

This one will always have a special place in my heart. The mashup, the meaning, the delivery—everything just hits too hard. The way it’s written around the story, where the 'Glee comeback' for the first holidays mostly featured those who hated the Glee club, never wanted to be there in the first place, or were highly mistreated. Let’s not even talk about how half of the performers of this song are no longer with us.